








A TRKATISK 


TP S29 
.H3 

Copy ^ 



VN 


BR ICR MAKING, 


BEING A DESCRlP-riOK OF TMIt 


MACHINE RECENTLY INVENTED 


And put in operation at Mount Vernon, Ohio, bjr 
Sawyer, Hakkness & Fkeelovk. 






BY EDSON HARKNESS, 

I 

Mount Vernon, Knox Co. Ohio. 


Published by the Author, 


GAMBIEU, OHIO: 

M BKTKRN PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL PRE 89 . 
OtOaCE W. MYEItS, tkinter. 


1834. 







COPY-RIGHT SECURED. 



"■r 





i 







PREFACE. 

It is common for young authors to allay the severity of the ' 
reviewers, by saying something to soothe and molify them, by way 
ot preface:—I therefore, in pursuance of this custom, will take 
the liberty of declaring that the following pamphlet has been pre¬ 
pared and published, not for the benefit of that very useless 
class of men who have nothing to do but amuse themselves by 
reading novels and nonsense. I have not attempted to cull any 
of the posies of literature to garnish my little work; and to tell 
the truth, if I had hunted for them, perhaps I should have been 
as unsuccessful as thousands of others who have made a similar 
attempt. owH failed. But inasmuch as none but practical men 
who have an interest in the subject, will be likely ever to read it, 

I think it hardly necessary to make any further excuses. I have 
attempted to make it as plain as possible, and if I have succeed¬ 
ed in this respect it is all I desire.—The machine described in 
the succeeding pages is a new invention for which a patent wiU 
be obtained in the course of a short time, either in the name of 
Nathan Sawyer, or in the name of Mr. Sawyer, Mr. Freelove, 
and myself. The application of the straitening joint to the press¬ 
ing of brick, and the use of the crank was, I believe, first sug¬ 
gested by Mr. Sawyer. The general details of the machinery,- set 
forth in the annexed pamphlet, are, with the above exceptions, 
strictly my own. 

My principal object in publishing this pamphlet, is to give 
such a description of tlie machinery for making brick from dry 
clay, as will enable good mechanics, any where, without any oth¬ 
er guide or direction than the pamphlet itself, to put a press in 
operation. If I shall accomplish this object I shall be satisfied. 

I have no excuses to make for any inaccuracies of language, &c. 
If they exist (as they undoubtedly do,) they must be attributed to a 
plain man who has paid more attention to abstract principles and 
things.^ than to the selection of words and the formation of senten¬ 
ces. 

Mount Vernon, OcL 1834. 


INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 

The project of making bricks from dry clay, will seem to nia^ 
ny not only impracticable, but utterly absurd and ridiculous. 
And the plan being contrary to the experience of ages, it is cer¬ 
tainly incumbent upon those who attempt a change so radical, to 
show conclusively that the mode they propose, is decidedly better 
than that which has been practised in all parts of the world, for 
thousands of years. A large portion of mankind are disposed to 
reject any innovation upon long established customs; while on 
the contrary, we find a few in all communities who are ready to 
embrace almost any opinion or project provided it be new. Both 
these extremes are manifestly wrong. The mere novelty of any 
mechanical combination is not, of itself, a reason why it should 
be either accepted or rejected. The past and present age, have 
been fruitful in mechanical discoveries, of immense importance to 
the human family. It may be safely asserted that the improve¬ 
ments in machinery within a century past have so far increased 
the productiveness of labor, that one half the labor would now 
furnish society with the same comforts which they enjoyed a cen¬ 
tury ago. These improvements have had a most salutary effect 
upon tne general condition of mankind. They have in a good 
degree dispelled the intellectual darkness which formerly over¬ 
shadowed the world. They have brought those comforts and 
luxuries which before were to be found only in the palaces ot the 
prince, to the door of the humblest citizen. We can now see in 
the cabins of the poor, collections of books, for the possession of 
which, kings would have once been envied. Let it be recollected 
that but for the progress of the mechanic arts, the great mass of 
mankind must have forever remained in ignorance—for a fortune 
could not have purchased what now can be obtained for a few' 
shillings. The nobility of England in the days of Queen Eliza¬ 
beth, were not surrounded with half the comforts and convenien¬ 
ces which are now to be found in the dwellings of our common 
farmers and mechanics. It is both instructive and amusing to 
look back into the records of former times, and draw a compari¬ 
son between the condition of society as it existed previous to the 
great improvements and discoveries in mechanical science, w'hich 
have taken place wdthin the last hundred years, and as we find it 
now. We shall see that the humble, unobtrusive labors of scien¬ 
tific mechanics, have changed the face of the world.« A proud 
baron of the olden time, with a thousand vassals at his beck, could 
not surround himself with those blessings, which it Ls in the pow- 


er of an ordinary citizen, of the present day, to enjoy. His dwel¬ 
ling was not so comfortable or convenient—he could neither 
clothe nor feed himself as well—and he was very far behind the 
modern citizen, in the means of intellectual enjoyment. 

There is, in the minds of some, a strong prejudice in favor of 
every thing ancient. This prejudice is apt to lead to a belief, 
that the world degenerates and grows worse, as it grows older. 
This class of persons frequently cite the writings of the ancients, 
as specimens of excellence which have never been equalled by the 
moderns. They do not seem to make the necessary distinction 
between a knowledge of human nature^ and a knowledge of physi¬ 
cal science. Moses and the Prophets understood the human 
heart as well, and perhaps better, than any man or set of men 
now in existence: yet Moses knew nothing of a steam boat or a 
flouring mill;—and Isaiah, inspired as he was, never dreamed of 
a rail-road, a canal lock, or a spinning jenny. Even the learned 
Paul, with all his high toned and soul stirring eloquence, was a 
mere child in physical science; was utterly ignorant of a thousand 
scientific discoveries, the use of which we now consider absolutely 
necessary—without which we could not enjoy civilized life. 

It is certainly absurd to suppose that the whole field of scien¬ 
tific discovery has been already occupied; and that future genera¬ 
tions of men will continue to tread in the path marked out by 
their forefathers: that there will be no more Fausts, Arkwrights, 
Fultons, Whitneys and Senefelders. On the contrary, we know 
that not a year passes over us, which does not produce some new 
discovery or improvement, which either saves labor, or subserves 
the comfort or embellishment of society. 

In a country like ours, where the shackles of custom, preju¬ 
dice and superstition have been, in a good degree, removed by a 
system of free institutions; and where the mind is left free to roam 
at large through the unexplored fields of science, we may ration¬ 
ally conclude that the great era of human improvement is but 
just begun. Still, it must be expected that there will be twenty 
cases of failure to one of success, in these efforts at improvement. 
It is therefore the duty of the public to scan closely the preten¬ 
sions of every individual who proposes to innovate upon long es¬ 
tablished usages. To this scrutiny the subscriber cheerfully sub¬ 
mits, with respect to the machinery described in the following 
pages. Nothing is here offered to the attention of the public, ex¬ 
cept what has been submitted to the test of experience. A press 
substantially upon the plan here described, has been in operation, 
during the past summer, in the town of MouJit ^^ei’iion, Ohio, 
upon which more than half a million of bricks have been made. 
It is true that all the bricks made upon this press, were not 
of the best quality. yV large portion of them however, were de- 


6 


cidedly superior,, in beauty and strength, to any heretofore made 
in this country, as the. walls which were laid from them will 
abundantly show. Those which were not of a good quality, were 
either made from bad clay, or were not well burned. Enough has 
been done to demonstrate the fact, that, by the general use of this 
machine, an immense amount of labor may be saved; and, what is 
of still more consequence, a great improvement made in the 
strength and durability of a highly important building material. 


GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATE. 

Fig. 1. A section of the machine; such as would be seen were it 
cut in two on either side of the driving Avheel and the 
smaller part taken away. 

Fig. 2. A ground or bird’s-eye view of the machine and wheel 
house. 

Fig. 3. A side view of the parts of the press and the timbers con¬ 
necting them. This plate also shows the end of the 
crank and the cog wheels used in raising the brick. 

Fig. 4. An inner view of one pair of posts with the frame and 
iron work which can be seen betw^een them. 

Fig. 5. A view of the inner surface of a post when framed. 
Fig. 6. The front view of a set of irons for one mould, viz: the 
Foot block, (t) the Piston, (s r) with the wrought iron 
rods, {u V w) the Denser, (r g) the Levers, (q q) and the 
Head block, (x) 

Fig. 7. A side view of the Denser, Levers and Head block. 

Fig. 8. The shape of the Kam, which raises the brick, by press¬ 
ing down the levers attached to the piston rods. 

Fig. 9. One of the irons which confines the Denser to its place: 

four of these to each denser, —sixteen in all. 

Fig. 10 A Pitman rod, which joins the straitening jointandcrank. 

The above will suffice for a genei'al description of the different 
plates. We shall now proceed to give a more particular and de¬ 
tailed description of each part of the machine, by referring to the 
letters upon the different plates. 

A A A A, Fig. 1. 3,4 & 5. These letters represent the ends 
of the posts; and in fig. 2, the position of the posts, as connected 
with the other parts of the structure. These posts must be 20 
inches square, and 21 feet 2 inches long. The ends, above the cap 
and below the sill, must be two feet long; and, if the timber be not 
veiy firm, they should be rounded at the corners, and banded 
with good wrought iron bands. 


^ ^ Cap. This should be framed in two 

parts. The upper part 50 inches long, 29 inches deep and 20 
mches thick. Into the under edge of the cap two grooves must 
be cut^five inches stiuare. The outer edge of each“groove must 
!!? 1^2 from the end of the cap. This will place the grooves 

htteen inches apart, in the clear. The under part of the cap is 
50 inches long, 20 inches wide and five inches deep. Into diis 
part of the cap two mortices must be made, 5 inches long and 3 
Wide, which, when the two parts of the cap are put together in 
the irame, will meet the grooves in the upper part of the cap, 
above described. Both parts of the cap must have a strong tenon 
at each end, lo inches long, to go through the posts. The hor- 
izontal grooves in the upper part of the cap, as above described, 
and seen in the plate, are to receive each two iron wedges, which 
regulate the thickness of the brick. The mortices in the lower 
part of the cap are to receive the head blocks, which press ao-ainst 
the under sides of the wedges. 

a Fig. 1, 4 & 5, represents what may be called the Denser 
V^LAMP. In tile side view, seen in the plates, only one of these 
clamps ai^ visibly They are 46 inches long, 26 inches deep and 
’J ^oxed into the posts; the posts being- 

left full in the centre, (a width of 6 inches) and the boxing cut in 
7 inches wide and 3 inches deep, {C C fig. 5.) These clamps sus¬ 
tain the irons winch confine the denser, and keep it in its vertical 
position. The two clamps are confined together by four bolts, 
the heads of which are visible in the darft. The top of the den¬ 
ser clamps are 75 inches below the bottom of the Cap. 

Z). Fig. 1, 4 & 5, represents the Mould Clamps. They are 46 
inches long, 18 inches deep, and 7i inches thick. They are box¬ 
ed into the posts in the same manner as the denser clamps, leav¬ 
ing a space between them of 5 inches. They are confined togeth¬ 
er m the same manner as the denser clamps, that is, by four bolts, 
with heads at one end and screws at the other. Care must be ta¬ 
ken to place these bolts in the positions represented in the draft, 
or they will interfere with the irons connected with the piston. 
Into these clamps the moulds are set, by cutting away in the in¬ 
side, so that they will fit close when the clamps are put in and 
screwed firmly together. The moulds are fastened down by a 
bar of iron running across each end of them, and then turned at 
right angles, down through the denser clamps, with screws and 
taps at the bottom to keep them firm. These bars of iron should 
be three fourths of an incli square; and the cast iron blocks which 
form the ends of the mould, should be three fourths of an inch 
narrower than those which form the sides. Thus formed, the 
bar will, in fact compose a part of the end of the mould. The bar 
should be made with a joint or hook at one of the angles so as to 


8 


be easily separated, when it may be necessary to take out the 
moulds. If this be not done, the denser clamps must be taken 
out before the moulds can be moved, which will always be dil- 
ficult and troublesome. 

E. Fig. 1, 4 &; 5, represents the Sili., which is 50 inches long 
(exclusive of the tenons) 34 inches deep and 20 inches wide. If 
it be difficult to obtain timber of the proper size, I can see no 
special objection to framing the sill in two parts, which will re¬ 
quire the pieces to be 17, instead of 34 inches deep. The dis¬ 
tance between the sill and mould clamps, is 9 inches, between the 
mould clamps and denser clamps, 10 inches, and between the 
denser clamps and cap, 75 inches. 

F. Fig. 1, represents the driving wheel Shaft. This, (if the 
bottom of it be set on a level with the top of the sill,) must be 11 
feet 10 inches long. It may be convenient for the builder, howev¬ 
er, to set it lower than tlie top of the sills: if so, he will, of course, 
add to the above length. This shaft must be an octagon, of at 
least 18 inches diameter, and of good firm timber. These calcu¬ 
lations are upon the supposition, that the top of the silis of the 
press and those of the wheel house, are upon the same level. 

G G. Fig. 1 & 2, gives a ground and side view of the Dri¬ 
ving Wheel. This, if the cog work be of wood, should be at least 
eight feet in diameter; if made of iron, it may be much smaller. 
It should be strong and firm, as for mill geering. 

H. Fig. 1 & 2. The Crank Shaft, (the end of which is also 
seen in fig. 3) This must be of the firmest kind of timber 14 inch¬ 
es diameter and fifteen teet long. One end of this shaft runs on 
a gudgeon, wFich rests in a block or gallows, which gallows hangs 
from die beam i i. To the other end is attached the crank, by a 
wing. 

I L Fig. 1, 2 & 4, represents the Wallower or Pinion. This 
must be precisely one half the size of the Driving Wlieel, what¬ 
ever that may be. 

K. Fig. 1, 2 & 3. In fig. 1 and 2, are seen the edge view of 
the small cog wheel wffiich is attached to the crank shaft, near tlie 
end next the press. In fig. 3, the four cog wheels used in rais¬ 
ing the brick are seen plainly. These cog wheels may be called 
the raising wheels. They must be all of one size, so as to give the 
same motion to the Kams, as is given to the Crank shaft. [Or, if 
the builder choose, he may have the wheel k 2 smaller than the 
other three.] These wheels must be two feet in diameter, and all 
formed so as to mesh into each other, h 1 receives its motion from 
the crank shaft ^ 2 is turned by ^ 1. One of the wheels 3 is 
turned by h 2, and the other is turned by its companion. These 
motions are all obvious from a view of the draft, (fig. 3.) The 
wheels^ 3 run upon shafts 8^ inches diameter and 5 leet long. 


9 


These shafts, at the ends fartherest from the driving wheel, rest 
in boxing fixed into blocks framed into, and between, the beams 
d d and e e. The other ends of these shafts rest upon a cross 
beam, supported by two small posts, which posts run from the 
sill to the baam of the wheel house. The wheel ^ 2 is supported 
by a short shaft, one end of which rests in the beam d d, and the 
other in a beam passing between, and supported by, the two small 
posts last named. Upon the shafts of the wheel k 3, are placed 
four Kams, which roll directly under the centre of the wrists. 
These kams, as they roll round, press down upon the ends of the 
levers which are attached to the rods of tlie piston, and thus 
raise the bottom of the moulds. The fulcrum upon which 
these levers rest, must be precisely two-thirds of the way from 
the point where the kam acts upon them, to the point where they 
are attached to the rods. The kams being 12 inches long, (see 
fig. 8,) the bottom of the moulds will raise six inches, which is 
the proper distance. 

LL fig. 1, & 2, represents the Crank. This is a casting 
of about four hundred pounds weight; and it is somewhat difficult 
to give a clear description of it, either in language or by a draft. 
The end towards the driving wheel is composed of a wing, (such 
as usually forms a part of a wing-gudgeon,) which goes into tho 
crank shaft. The bearing next the wing must be 8 inches long 
by four and three fourths inches in diameter. Then comes the first 
angle, which must be four and one half inches square, and so long 
that it will bring the wrist eight and one half inches from the 
bearing just described, that is, by counting from the centre of 
the bearing to the centre of the wrist. Tlien comes the first wrist, 
which must be four and one-fourth inches diameter and five inch¬ 
es long, in the clear. Next comes the second angle, fouj* and 
one-fourth inches square and eight and one-half long, counting 
from the centre of the wrist back to the centre of motion in the 
crank. Next comes the Centre Bearing, four inches diameter and 
seven inches long. We have now got through the description of 
the first half of the crank, (or half n»\xt the driving wheel) with 
the two first bearings. The second wrist must not be in an op¬ 
posite direction from the first, but on an angle of 90 degrees from 
it, taking the centre of motion in the crank as the angular point: 
or, in other words, when the wrist next the driving wheel is vp to 
the highest point of the circle v/hich the wrist describes, then and 
at that moment, the second wrist must be on a level with the res¬ 
pective bearing.-, of the crank. Aijain, (to make the matter plain 
if possible) in a draft giving a horizontal view, if one wrist of the 
crank be either up or down eight and one-half inches, the other 
angle could not be shown in the draft at all, for it would form a 
straight line with the bearings. Next after the centre bearing, 


10 


comes the third angle, four inches square and eight and one-half 
inches long, counting from tlie centre of motion to the centre of 
the wrist. Then comes the second wrist, three and three-fourths 
inches diameter and five inches long in the clear—after which we 
have the fourth angle, three and one-half inches square, and long 
enough to bring the last bearing to its proper position, that is, in 
a straight line with the other two bearings. The hist bearing 
should be three and one-half inches diameter and about five inch¬ 
es long. These directions for forming the crank, only concern 
the pattern maker. He will of course see that the parts are so for¬ 
med as to draw from the sand, and be careful to see that the cen¬ 
tres of the two wrists are precisely twenty inches apart, counting 
in a horizontal direction. 

M M. Fig 1 & 2. The pole, or arm to which the team is hitch¬ 
ed. This diould be 2S feet long, and of sufficient strength to sus¬ 
tain the pull of a horse at each end—say 6 by 8 inches square in 
the middle and tapering off to 3 by 4 at each end. Only one good 
horse will, in ordinary cases be needed; but two may sometimes 
be necessary. 

a a. Fig. 1, 3 & 4. The beam a a fig 3, has no other office 
to perform than to strengthen the posts of the press and keep 
them steady. A piece of timber G by 8 inches square will answer 
the purpose. The distance, (in the clear,) between the two pairs 
of main posts of the press is 14 feet 6 inches, and of course the 
beams a a must be that length. In fig. 1 & 4 are seen the morti¬ 
ces for these beams, In fig. 1 and 4 the brace mortices, and in 
fig. 3 the braces which support the beam a a are visible. (See b b 
fig. 1, 3 & 4.) 

c c. Fig. 1,3 & 4. In fig. 3 is to be seen the braces, and in 
fig. 1 & 4 the brace mortices, of the braces which run from the 
beam d dio the posts. 

d d. Fig. 1, 2 & 3. These beams sustain the two outer bearings 
of the crank. In fig. 1 the ends of these beams only are seen.— 
They should be so framed into the posts that their upper edges 
shall be 37 inches lower than the bottom of the cap. I'hey must 
be 14 feet 6 inches long (besides the tenons) 10 inches wide and 
12 inches deep at the ends, and 13 inches wide and 12 inches 
deep in the middle. The shape of these beams is obvious from a 
a view of the draft, (d d d d fig. 2.) 

e e. Fig. 3. These beams should be 10 inches squai'e, and fra¬ 
med into the posts 14 inches (in the clear) below the beams d d. 
These beams support the fulcrum for the levers which raise the 
brick. 

ff. Fig. 1. Shows two of the corner posts of the wheel house. 
These should be one foot square and 13 feet long, (besides the 
tenons.) 


11 


g g. Fig. 2. The two out side beams of the wheel house. These 
should be one foot square and 30 feet long in the clear. —g g^ fig. 

1 shows where these beams are inserted in the posts, that is, one 
toot below the top of the posts. 

/^ A. fig. 1 & 2. The plates of the wheel house—10 inches square 
and 32 ieet long. 

i i. Fig, 1 & 2. In fig. 2 are seen the two centre beams which 
support the upper end of the driving wheel shaft, and one end of 
the crank shaft. These beams should be at least 15 inches deep 
and 12 inches wide. They are two feet apart in the clear, and are 
fi’amed into the posts on a level with the outer beams. 

k. Fig. 1 & 2. The head block which sustains the upper end of 
the driving wheel shaft. This block should be 4- feet long, 1 foot 
square, and boxed into the upper edges of the beams 2 inches. 

nil. Fig. 1 & 2. These are mere braces, to keep the frame 
firm in its place, so that the geering will run steady. Too much 
care cannot well be taken, in the construction of the wheel house 
to make it firm and incapable of swerving. These braces may 
run ei’.her from the plates, or from the outside beams. It they run 
from the plates they will have to pitch in the manner represented 
in fig. 1. 

m m. Fig. 1. These posts sustain the centre beams. They 
must be one foot square and 13 feet long in the clear. Braces, of at 
least 6 feet in length should be framed from these posts to the 
centre beams, (these braces cannot be, or rather, are not, shown 
in the draft.) 

n n. Fig. 1. One of the sills of the wheel house. The sills should 
be of durable timber, one foot square, and long enough to form a 
squ ire of 30 feet in the clear. 

0 0 0 0 . Fi". 2. The horse track, which must of course be as 
large as practicable in a square of 30 feet. 

p p p p> Fig. 2. The four Pitman Rods which run from the le¬ 
vers to the Crank, and serve to straiten and bend the levers. They 
should be attached to the wrists of the crank separately. They 
are fastened to the upper end of the lower arm of the joint or 
main lever, by a short bolt, which short bolt is fastened to the le¬ 
ver by two other bolts, which go through the lever and are screw¬ 
ed on the opposite side. These two bolts have heads with holes 
through them large enough to receive the cross bolt which pass¬ 
es through the pitman rod. (see fig. 10.) Thus a joint is formed 
where the pitman rod is attached to the lever. The pitman rods 
must be made of bars of good iron, at least one inch square. The 
end which is fastened to the lever must be so formed as to receive 
a round bolt three-fourths of an inch in diameter, (the cross bolt 
above described.) The end which is fascened to the wrist of the 
crank must be flattened down, so that it shall be two inches wide 


12 


and half an inch thick. It must then be rolled over in the manner 
represented in fig. 10. so that it will set close to one half the wrist 
of the crank. The part which is rolled round must be left long 
enough to receive a small cast iron box (a fig. 10) and be fasten¬ 
ed behind the box by a clamp, and small key to keep the box in 
its place. The length of the pitman from the centre of the hole 
for the three-fourth inch bolt to the centre of the hole for the 
wrist of the crank, is eight feet six and one-half inches. The above 
description, with a careful examination of the draft, (fig. 10.) 
will, I hope, enable the smith to do the work correctly. 

g g g. tig. G. The levers and the denser. The bodies of these 
are three inches square, or as near that shape as the patterns can 
be drawn from the sand;^—the joints six inches wide, with projec¬ 
tions on the out-side of the joints to receive the snibils or hooks 
which hold the levers together 1). The holes through these 
projections to receive the shanks of the snibils, thould be three- 
fourths of an inch in diameter, and in the centre of the projec¬ 
tions, so that the cast iron on the outside of the holes, and be¬ 
tween the holes and the body of the joint, shall be three-fourths 
of an inch thick. These pojections should be about two inches 
deep and four inches apart when the lever stands straight. The 
convex and concave half circles upon which the levers bend, 
should be one inch in diameter. The manner in which these cir¬ 
cles should be cut is obvious in fig. 7, which represents an edge 
view of the levers and denser. The levers should be precisely 
36 inches long, counting from the angular points, and the denser 
41 inches long—this when the levers are straight, will give a dis¬ 
tance of 9 feet 6 inches from the bottom of the cap to the bottom 
of the denser, (allowing one inch for the head block.) It will be 
well for the pattern maker to remember that there is considerable 
friction upon these joints; and that they may be so formed at the 
shoulders as to wear down from a fourth to a half inch. 

r r. I'ig. 6. The bottom of the denser and top of the piston. 
The size of these must be tlte same as the flat surface of the brick, 
which size will be regulated by the custom of the place or the 
views of the builder. It may be well to remember, however, that 
a brick 9 inches long, 4^ inches wide and 2-J inches thick, con¬ 
tains a fraction over 100 cubic inches of clay—whereas a brick 8 
inches long, 4 inches wide and 2 inches thick, contains only 64 
cubic inches. It will therefore take less than two-thirds the force 
to press a brick of the latter than of the former description. Be¬ 
sides a small brick can be handled with much less injury to the 
sharp corners than a large one. The bottom of the denser and 
top of the piston must have steel plates screwed to them, at least 
three-eighths of an inch thick, which plates must fit the moulds 


13 


as exactly as possible, and the surfaces of which must be well pol¬ 
ished. 

s. Fg. 6. The bottom of the piston. This should be G inches 
long and 4 inches wide, with a cavity in the bottom, of the right 
shape to receive a conical projection of the foot block. This con¬ 
ical projection of the foot block, should be two inches square at 
the base, and two inches high, running to a point in the centre. 
This shape of the piston and foot block is necessary, to make the 
piston, w'hen it falls, invariably come to the same position. The 
piston must be cast with a hole through it large enough to re¬ 
ceive a cross bar, two and one-half inches deep and five-eighths 
of an inch thick, (see fig. 6.) To each end of this cross bar is at¬ 
tached a rod three-fourths of an inch square. These rods must 
be 19i inches apart, (from outside to outside) and firmly braced. 
There must be a joint in the rods at v, and perhaps it may be best 
to have another immediately below where the rods are attached 
to the raising levers. The raising levers must be forked near 
the point where they rest upon the fulcrum, so as to meet the 
upper ends of the raisng rods. In order to have these levers per¬ 
fectly inflexible, they must be covered on the upper side with a 
thin bar of iron, which must be spiked or screwed firmly to the 
wooden part of the lever. The screws at the top of the rods are 
for the purpose of fastening them to the raising levers, and keep¬ 
ing the work at all times tight and in its proper place. The top 
of^:hese rods, from the joint at v, must be inclined about two inch¬ 
es inward, so as to prevent tlie raising levers from interfering 
with each other. 

f. Fig. 6. The foot block. This should be 5 inches deep, and a 
little smaller at the top than the bottom of the piston, so that the 
clay 'Uiich may happen to fall through or round the mould, shall 
not rest upon the block. The bottom of this block should be 
at least one foot square—but all except the part which comes in 
contact with the piston, may be only one inch thick. 

y y Siz. fig. 9. This draft represents one of the irons used in 
confining the°densers to their place. The main bars, y y, must 
be formSl of a bar three-fourths of an inch square; and the cross 
piece, z must be at least an inch wide and three-fourths of an inch 
deep. The distance from the middle of the screws (y 1,) to the 
cross piece z, must be eleven and one-half inches. The space z 2 
must be precisely as wide as the body of the denser; and the 
shoulders, z 3, must fit exactly to the denser, for they regulate its 
course. The shanks, y y, should be about 4 inches long. These 
irons, (4 to each denser, 16 in all,) must be made precisely of one 
width, or it will be impossible to fit them into the denser clamps 
with safficient accuracy. All that can be seen of these irons (m 
fia>. 4,) is the ends of the screws in the denser clamp. The upper 


14 


pair of these irons must be placed as high in the clamps as the 
head of the denser will admit of their being placed, and the lower 
pair must be so placed as to permit the denser to rise nine inches. 
These irons cannot come in contact with tlie denser precisely on 
opposite sides of it; that is, the bars have to pass each other, and 
ot course rest one above the other. I’he mortices through the 
clamps must be three-fourths of an inch wide and one and a half 
inches deep. There must be a thick washer on the outside of the 
clamp, to hold the screw tap which fastens the irons. 

Fig. 5. Represents a post of the press, framed ready for raising, 
A, the head, 2 feet long —B B, the l3oxing for the cap, which 
must be 5 inches deep —b 1, the mortice which receives the tenon 
of the cap; this should be 4 inches wide and 34 inches long. Be¬ 
low this mortice there must be a groove for a key 4 inches thick 
at one end and 2^ at the other. These keys are absolutely ne¬ 
cessary, to keep the cap constantly pressed against the upper part 
of the boxes in the posts. To prevent the posts from springing 
apart (for the cap must not be pinned) two bars of iron must run 
through the posts close to the top of the cap and about two inches 
from the outer edges of the posts. These bars, (or bolts,) must 
have a large head at one end, and a strong, well cut screw and 
washer at the other, so as to be screwed up when the posts season. 
The sills being in the ground, and the earth constantly pressing 
upon the outside of the posts, prevents the necessity of bolts thro^ 
the posts belowthe sill. [A single pin may be put thro’ each tenon 
of the sill near its lower edge.] There is no framing from the cap 
to the denser clamps, except the cut for the keys which force the 
cap up and the denser clamps down. The boxes to receive the 
ends of the denser clamps must be 26 inches long, 3 inches deep 
and 7 inches wide. These two boxes leave a space between them 
6 inches wide, which remains full. The boxes B1) for the mould 
clamps must be 7^ inches wide, 3 inches deep and 18 inches long, 
with a groove above them to hold the clamps down. The box¬ 
ing for the sill E E, and the mortice f, must be similar in all res¬ 
pects to the framing for the cap. 

Fig. 8. Represents a view of the Kam, which presses upon the 
lever to raise the brick, and also an end view of the shaft to which 
the kam is fastened. These kams, four in number, are attached 
to the shafts of the cog wheels KS. These shafts should be 8^ in¬ 
ches diameter, where the kams are joined to them. The mode for 
the workman to lay out a kam is as follows, Take a board and 
strike a circle upon it Sh inches diameter. This circle is represent¬ 
ed hy a a in the draft: Then with a scale divided into decimal 
parts, take into your dividers a distance of four inches and forty- 
five hundredth parts of an inch, and step from a 1 along the circle. 
Through the point thus made by the first step of the dividers. 


15 



1 ^ ..to V7X mi iin;u, anu araw 

through It ray number two; and so on, the distances represented 
on the circle,* making each ray one inch longer than the last 
until you get to ray number 12, which is twelve inches Ion 
counting from the circle a a. The kam should extend one indi 
tarther than the 12th ray, and this additional inch should be 
rounded off in the manner represented in the draft. This shape 
of the kam will bring up the brick precisely with the denser, until 
the bottom of it reaches the top of the mould, when it will stop 
an instant before the bottom drops, so that the boy can take it off 
conveniently. These kams should be faced with a thin bar of 
iron, which should extend round the shaft to the concave circle, 
by which it can be spiked firmly to the shaft. The concave circle 
cut out of the shaft is for the purpose of avoiding the percussion, 
which would otherwise take place when the piston drops and the 
end of the lever flies up. The raising levers must be so much 
curved that the kams will touch them only at the ends. The 
kams must be put into the shaft at right angles with each other, 
so that their positions may correspond with the wrists of the crank. 
A small iron roller in the ends of these levers, will materially de¬ 
crease the friction, and if well made, must be decidely advanta¬ 
geous. 


As the figures iii the draft are not printed as plainly as they should bp. f.h» 



Step. 

1st 

2d 

3d 

4 th 

5 th 
6th 
7th 
8th 
9th 
10th 
11th 
12th 


Inches—lOOth* 


4—45 

0—95 

0—69 

0—56 

0—49 

0—46 

0—42 

0—41 

0—38 

0—40 

0—39 

0-40 



16 


THE JOINT LEVER. 

The Joint Lever, or straitning joint, seems to be less understood, 
as a mechanical power, than any other; and for that reason, a few 
remarks upon it may not be improper in this place. I have found 
no book upon mechanics, which treats of the straitning joint as a 
distinct and separate power. In fact, it appears to have been, in a 
measure, overlooked by elementary writers. Let me not be under¬ 
stood, however, as claiming the of this important mechanic¬ 

al power; for it has been in practical use since the day when Adam first 
learned to walk. VVe do not learn this fact from any ancient record, 
but it must be plain to every one, that Adam, even before he tas¬ 
ted of the forbidden fruit, could not have walked a single step vvith- 
out bending and straitnSng his legs. The strailning joint is the 
most efficient mschanical power in nature, where a very linxiledy 
regular motion., and great force is required. This a[>plication of the 
J'’vei* is, nevertheless, subject to the same laws, in regard to mo- 
tion f irce, as all other mechanical powers: That is, you can 
“gain in force what you lose in motion—and you must lose in force 
what you gain in motion.” This is a universal law, which pervades 
all mechanical com!)inations; and the mechanic who attempts, in 
the structure of macliinery, to violate or evade this primary natural 
law, will find his labors utterly vain. It is probably from an igno¬ 
rance of this great elementary principle, that so many enthusiastic 
and visionary men, have spent their time and substance in attempt¬ 
ing to construct self-moving machines. No man, who understands 
the elementary principles of Motion and Force, can for a moment be¬ 
lieve it possible to produce a regular and continued motion in any 
given machine, without either a constant or alternate application of 
force. 

But let us proceed to examine some of the properties of the 
Joint Lever. This may be termed an accumulating poiver, for in 
effect, as the joint straitens, the fulcrum moves, until it reaches the 
very end of the lever. Take, as an exam[)Ie, tlie two arms of the 
Brick Press lever, which are each 36 inches long, and the top of 
the upper arm attached by a hinge to the head block. Suppose the 
arms to be so far bent as to throw the centre joint inches and 38 
hundredth parts of an inch from a perpendicular line. This posi¬ 
tion of the lever places the denser attached to the lower arm 6 inches 
up from the place it is in wlien the levers are straight. We will now 
apply a force equal to one hundred pounds, to straighten it. The 
force of one hundred pounds will, in this position of the lever, press 
upon the lower end (and in fact upon each end) of the joint, two 
hundred and fifty pounds; or, in other words, will resist or remove a 
weight of 259 lbs. from cither end of the joint, the other being 
fixed and stationary. We will again suppose that the denser is up 
three inches, which throws the centre of the joint 10 inches and 28 
hundredths from a vertical position. In this attitude of the lever, 
100 lbs. will press 359 lbs. Suppose again, that the lever is bent 
4 inches and 23 hundredths, which throws the denser up one half 
bch—this gives a pressure of 850 lbs. or, what is the same thing, 


11 


multiplies the primary force 8^ times. Upon the same principle, 
when the lever is bent one inch, the primary force is multiplied thir¬ 
ty-six times. The Crank which straightens and bends the levers also 
acts upon the same principle as the straightening joint: but the ra¬ 
dius of the circle which the crank describes being only inches, its 
power is, of course, less than one fourth the power of the lever. 

By the plan of the press described in the foregoing pages, it will 
be seen that the arm which turns the driving wheel is 14 feet long. 
The trundle head or pinion being half the size of the driving wheel 
and the radius of the crank 8J inches—it follows, that the primary 
power applied to straighten the joint is equal to a common lever sev¬ 
en feet long resting upon a fulcrum 8^ inches from one end. If we 
assume 300 lbs. to be the force applied to the arm of the driving 
wheel, (either by animal or steam power,) we shall then have 2664 
lbs. as the power applied to the wrist of the crank; or, in other words 
to pull the rod which straightens the joint lever. This primary force 
is the same in all positions of the crank. But the actual pressure 
accumulated upon the brick, while the joint is becoming straight, 
and the crank is assuming the position which pulls the rod the great¬ 
est distance towards the centre of the press.—When the joint lever is 
within one inch of being straight, this accumulation of power amounts 
to the enormous sum of two hundred and eighty-three thousand, seven 
hundred and seventy-eight ^o\xu6lS .—We will deduct one-third as the 
loss by friction, and we have an actual pressure of ninety tons upon 
each brick, by applying 300 lbs. to the arm of the driving wheel. 
About sixty tons, it has been ascertained, is sufficient to press dry 
clay into good brick. 


GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. 

A few general observations, which did not seem to belong to any 
other part of the subject, must find a place here. The Moulds 
could not well be represented in the draft; and it may be proper to 
make a few remarks respecting them. The set which are now in use 
in the press here, are made of steel plates, which plates are set in 
cast iron blocks, and banded with strong wrought iron bands. The 
plates are the thickness of a common saw-mill saw and six inches 
wide. The blocks are three-fourths of an inch wider than the plates, 
and contain a shoulder for the lower edge of the plates to rest upon. 
The plates are also riveted to the mould blocks. The outside of 
these blocks are so shaped as to give the bands an oval form—they 
are about two inches thick at the centre and one inch at the corners; 
the upper edges a half inch thinner than the lower, so that the 
bands will drive on to advantage. The corners are notched togeth¬ 
er; and the end blocks made three-fourths of an inch narrower than 
those of the sides, so as to receive the bars which fasten down the 
moulds. The top of the mould must present a concave surface— 
that is, the blocks and plates must be one inch higher at the ends 
than in the middle: this is necessary in order to have as much clay 



18 


in the ends of the moulds as in the middle. Too much care cannot 
be taken in the formation of the moulds, for, as a matter of course, 
all the defects that exist in the inner surface of the mould, must be 
visible in the brick. The Denser which enters the top of the mould 
and makes the pressure, must fit as exactly as possible to the sides of 
the mould, and the piston which raises the brick must fit equally well, 
otherwise the corners of the brick will be defective. The bottom of 
the denser and head of the piston should be cast a little larger than 
the mould, so as to admit of being dressed to an exact fit. 

It is believed by some that the moulds may be made wholly of 
cast iron. This may do where the best of castings from pig metal 
can be procured. In making them of cast iron, however, the great¬ 
est possible care should be taken to have them square and smothe; 
and in all cases it will be necessary to have a polished steel plate 
upon the top of the piston and bottom of the denser: which are fas¬ 
tened by drilling four small holes through the plate and cast iron 
near the corners, and either riveting or screwing them firmly on. 
Care must be taken so to form the mould, that in all cases the top 
will be about one-twentieth of an inch larger than the bottom. This 
formation does not perceptibly injure the shape of the brick, and it 
saves a good deal of force in pushing the brick from the mould. I 
would recommend the size of the mould to be eight inches long 
by four wide. The corners being a perfect right angle, it is difficult 
to handle large bricks without injuring the corners: besides, the force 
necessary in pressing, is in proportion to the number of cubic inches 
of clay in the brick. The mould must be very near twice the depth 
required for the thickness of the brick; that is, the clay, when thrown 
loosely into the mould by a spade, will press into one half its thick¬ 
ness. The quantity, however, is easily regulated, by raising or low¬ 
ering the mould clamps as before directed. The posts being 40 
inches apart, and the moulds 8 inches long, it follows that the ends 
of the moulds will be 12 inches apart, and there will be 6 inches 
between the end of each mould and the nearest post. 

The irons represented by fig. 9 may, perhaps, be dispensed with, 
by four cast iron pieces bedded into the denser clamps, with pro¬ 
jections upon them to hold the densers in their place. Should this 
plan be adopted, the following will be the shape of the castings used 
to confine the denser:—They must be one and a half inches thick, 
three inches wide and thirty-one inches long—bedded into the 
denser clamps one inch. The part against which the densers rest, 
must be raised one inch from a line with the body of the piece, and the 
shoulders a half inch higher still. These shoulders must, of course, 
be made so as to fit closely upon the corners of the densers; and, if 
the densers be three inches square, (the proper size) the distance 
between the two pairs of shoulders will be precisely seventeen inch¬ 
es. Care must be taken, in forming the pattern, to make the proper 
allowance for shrinkage—as it is important that these shoulders, 
which guide the densers, should not throw them in the least degree, 
out of a perpendicular line. Through each end of these pieces, as 
near the shoulders as practicable, there must be a hole three-fourtlis 


19 


of an inch wide and one and a half inches deep.—These holes are 
to receive two bolts, each three-fourths of an inch square. These 
bolts must have their heads so flattened that they will be no larger 
one way than the body of the bolt. Thus formed, they will pass 
through two of the cast pieces above described in opposite direc- 
^^2 inches long, with a screw and tap at one 
end. ihe heads ol the bolts will come in contact with the back side 
of the cast piece when beded into the denser clamp, and will pass 
through both the cast pieces, and through the opposite denser 
clamp, to tlie outer surface of it, where it receives the screw tap. 
These screws, acting in opposite directions, will always enable the 
workmen to keep the denser in its place. This mode of confining 
and regulating the denser may, perhaps, be as cheap as the one be¬ 
fore described, and would, Itliink, be less liable to get out of repair. 

The mode of raising the brick set forth in the plate, is only one 
among many modes which may be adopted. By cogging up from 
the crank shaft, and extending the raising rods through the cap, the 
levers and kams may wmrk at the top of the press. Or by cogging 
down, the levers may be placed under the bottom of the piston, and 
entirely dispense with the raising rods. This would be the best 
mode, were it not that the levers would be in the way of the boy 
who takes off the brick. 

A press with two pairs of moulds only, is described in the plate. 
These in ordinary cases, will be as many as is desirable. With 
these the manufacturer can make from fifty to seventy thousand 
bricks per week. But if the regular market be large, he can, by using 
a steam engine of 10 horse power, work sixteen moulds, (four on 
each side of the wheel house) and make two hundred thousand 
bricks per week. It will probably be the better way, however, to 
multiply the number of presses, rather than the number of moulds 
in a press. 

In order to make the best quality of brick, the clay must be pul¬ 
verized and rendered completely clear of lumps and small stones. 
This is easily done when the clay has been thrown up during the 
winter and frozen. All that is necessary to do with frozen clay, is 
to pass it through a coarse wire rolling screen. This screen may 
either be turned by hand, or attached to a drum connected with the 
driving wheel. To screen clay by hand is about the same labor as 
to make it into mortar. Every manufacturer can have his own plan 
for pulverizing his clay. 

The clay, to be worked to advantage, must be in a dry state—not 
so as to become dust, but so that it will, in a measure lose its adhe¬ 
sive qualities. In this state, when pressed, the air will escape out 
of it, and it will become solid. But if it be moist, it is impossible to 
press it—or rather, the water renders it so elastic that it will not 
“stay pressed.” I would advise the manufacturer to connect with his 
wheel house a large shed, sufficient to protect clay for 150,000 
bricks. Into this shed let him wheel clay during the winter, so as 
to have the whole of it frozen. He will then be able to supply the 
market in the spring with one kiln of brick as soon as they may be 


20 


wanted. The balance of the clay required for the season should, 
during the winter, be thrown up into ridges. It can then be taken 
into the shed during dry weather, always taking care to have the 
shed so full that the press may not have to stop during u week of 
wet weather. There is, invariably, (in and near this latitude) a pe¬ 
riod of very dry weather from the middle of April until about the 
10th of May. This will be sufficient time to work up the first shed 
full of clay. But half the time, perhaps, it will be dry enough to 
take the clay directly from the open heaps—in that case the reser¬ 
voir in the shed will be but half exhausted. In all cases be careful 
to have your shed full on the 9th of May; for between that day and 
the 13th you may always expect a severe rain storm, and often a 
flood—at least my observations, for the last 20 years, has proved this 
to be the case. From the 13th of May to the 10th of June, the 
weather is usually wet: and from the 10th of June to the 1st of 
July, there is again a period of dry weather. Between the 1st and 
10th of July there is always much rain, (often a flood) and it is apt 
to continue changeable until about the 1st of August; when the dry 
weather again commences and continues until the Autumnal equi¬ 
nox. These remarks will, I trust, be of some value to the practical 
brick maker, whose business is more affected by the weather than 
almost any other. By embracing proper periods of dry weather, there 
can always be clay enough kept under the shed to work while it is 
wet. By adopting this course, the press need not remain idle a sin¬ 
gle working day during the season. When the brick are pressed, 
they may be set immediately into the kiln, ready for burning. This 
is the mode adopted with all the bricks made during the past sum¬ 
mer at the press above alluded to. It may be the better way, how¬ 
ever, to set a portion of them at least, into a dry shed and let them 
become thoroughly dry—for it is a tedious business to drive off as 
much water smoke as there is found in a kiln of brick set directly 
from the press. 

The mode of working the press is so simple, and so obvious from 
what has been already explained, that it can hardly be necessary to 
say any thing about it. It may be well enough to remark, however, 
that the man who fills a pair of moulds stands upon the outside of 
the press, and the boy who takes off the brick on the inner, or op¬ 
posite side. When the denser is up and the bottem down, there is 
ample room to throw in a spade full of clay and strike it off even with 
the top of the mould. By the time this is done, the denser begins 
to come down, and the other denser, having just pressed a brick, be¬ 
gins to rise out of its mould. As it rises the brick rises with it, un¬ 
til the bottom of the brick comes even with the top of the mould— 
it is then the business of the boy to take it off as the bottom drops 
back to its place. By this time the man with the spade is ready to 
give it another charge, and so on alternately. The bo}’- sets his brick 
upon a wheelbarrow. When the barrow is filled and the wheeler 
takes it away, the boy has time, by a quick motion, to pull an emp¬ 
ty one into its place. One hand can wheel the brick made upon 
four moulds, if he have not over 100 feet to wheel them. 


APPENDIX. 


Certificate of the Brick-Layers, of Mount Vernon, 
The undersigned, citizens of Mount Vernon and vicinity, do 
hereby certify, that they have examined the urick, made at the press 
erected by Sawyer, Harkness and Freelove, near this town; and 
have also been engaged in laying said brick into walls. We have 
no hesitation in pronouncing them a superior article to any heretofore 
made in this country, as regards strength^ durability and beauty. We 
can threfore recommend them to the public as a much better^ and 
far more beautiful building material than that which has heretofore 
been in use. D. H. DRAKE, A. MITCHELL, 

July, 1834. J. B. CAREY, J. R. STRUBLE, 

JOHN JENNINGS, S. STINEMATES, 


Certificate of Mr. Curtis and others. 

Mount Vernon^ Ohio, July 28,1834. 

I have had frequent opportunities of observing the successful ope¬ 
ration of the new Patent Brick machine, invented and started in this 
place, by Messrs. Harkness, Sawyer and Freelove; and am happy 
in being able to state my belief, that the proprietors have demonstra¬ 
ted the practicability and utility^ of the machinery, and the applica¬ 
tion of its powers to making bricks upon the principle adopted. The 
most distinguishing feature in the whole operation, aside from the 
extraordinary pressure, is, that the bricks are made from dry clay; 
that is as taken from the earth in dry weather. Some of the advan¬ 
tages in this mode of making bricks, will be found in their solidity, 
their smotheness, and their being at once ready to set in the kiln as 
they come from the press. I am building a commodious dwelling 
house, this season for myself, and although I had previously sup¬ 
plied myself with brick in sufficient quantity, made in the old %my, I 
yet deemed it of importance to purchase of the above named gen¬ 
tlemen, a number of the brick made by their machinery, sufficient 
to carry up my front walls. HENR\ B. CURTIS. 

The subscribers, citizens of Mount Vernon, and acquainted with 
the Brick machine above alluded to, and its operations, do concur 
in the opinion and belief indicated in the above certificate. 

JOHN SHERMAN, 

COLUMBUS DELANO, 

S. W. FARQUHAR, 

C. FULLER, 

D. STONE, 

Wm. BYERS, 

DAN’L S. NORTON, 

T. W. ROGERS, 


X • LJ i.V i-Vj 

JOHN ECKOLS, 
M. MITCHELL, 

S. W. HILDRETH, 
J. B. PLUMMER, 
H. CURTISS, 

J. S. UPDEGRAFF, 
P.KNOWLTON. 




COPY OF A CONTRACT. 

Whereas Nathan Sawyer, Edson Harkness and Sylvanus G. Free- 
love are the proprietors of a new discovery in the art of making 
bricks from dry clay, for which invention or discovery they contem¬ 
plate obtaining a patent in their joint names. And whereas an ami¬ 
cable division has been made of the right to use said discovery with¬ 
in the territories of the United States. And it hath been agreed 
that Edson Harkness shall have for his part of said Patent, the sole 
and exclusive right of using the same in the following states and 
territories, to wit: Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, the District 
of Columbia, and the following counties in the state of Ohio, to wit: 
Muskingum, Ross, Belmont, Fairfield, Starke, Warren, Portage, 
Medina, Guernsey, Sandusky, Miami Clinton, Madison, Morgan, 
Wood and Hancock. Also the one undivided third part of the right 
for Knox county. And we severally agree, that when a patent shall 
be obtained, as above contemplated, we will execute deeds of quit¬ 
claim to each other, for the respective portions set apart to eacb 
individual. Edson Harkness, 

Mount Vernon^ Nov. 7, 1833. Nathan Sawyer, 

S. G. Freelove. 


LIST OF MATERIALS. 


The foUovidng list of materials for putting up a Press, will 
be of service to the builder, as it brings the whole subject into 
one view. He would otherwise have to go through the whole 
pamphlet, in order to make out his list 

BILL OF HEWED TIMBER. 


1st 4 sills, 12 by 12, inches square, and 32 feet long, 

2d 8 Posts, 12 by 12 do. 14 1-2 do. 

3d 2 Beams 12 by 12 do. 32 do. 

4th 2 Beams 15 by 12 do. 32 do. 

5th 2 Plates 8 by 10 do. 32 do. 

6th 1 Round piece 20 inches diam. and 12 feet long, 
for driving wheel shaft, 

7 th 1 Round piece 15 inches diam. and 15 feet long, 
for crank shaft, - - - 

8th 4 Posts 20 by 20 inches, and 21 feet 2 inches long, 
9th 2 Beams 10 by 12 at the ends and 13 by 12 in 
the middle—16 feet long, 

10th 2 Beams 10 by 10—16 feet long, 

11th 1 Post 12 by 12—9 feet long (this post supports 
the centre bearing of the crank, and is braced 
from the beams d d and e e.) 

12th 2 Pieces 20 by 29—6 feet 8 inches long, for caps, 
13th 2 Pieces 20 by 5—6 feet 8 inches long, for lower 
part of caps, 


128 

116 

64 

80 

35 

26 

18 

236 

32 

20 


9 

53 

10 



23 


14th 4 pieces 27 by 7—3 feet 10 inches long, for den- 

ser clamps, . . .20 

15th 4* Pieces 18 by 7h —3 feet 10 inches long, for 

mould clamps, , . .. 14 

16 th 2 Pieces 34 by 20—6 feet 8 inches long? for siUs, 64 
17th 2 Round pieces, to work 81 inches diameter and 

5 feet long, for kam shafts, . . 5 

I8th 1 Piece 12 by 12—12 feet long, for head and 
foot block ofdriving wheel shaft and gallows for 
crank shaft, . . . 12 

Total cubic feet, 941 
In addition to the above there must, of course, be a consider¬ 
able quantity of sawed scantling for rafters, braces, arms for dri¬ 
ving wheel, &c. as well as plank for the wheels, and boards or 
shingles for covering the press and wheel house. 


BILL OF CAST IRON, 


1st 4 Head blocks,—30lbs. each, . . 120 

2d 4 Upper arms to Levers, 85lbs. each, . 340 

3d 4 Lower arms to Levers, do. . . 340 


4th 

4 Densers, 

120, 

do. 

480 

5th 

4 Pistons, 

70, 

do. 

280 

6th 

4 Foot Blocks, 

60, 

do. 

240 

7th 

1 Crank, 

400, 

do. 

400 

8th 

4 Set of Mould Blocks, 

60, 

do. 

240 

9th 

4 Small cog wheels for 

raising, 


100 

Total, 2540 


In addition to the above, there must be two gudgeons for the 
driving wheel shaft—one for the crank chaft—and six for the 
small shafts which turn the raising wheels. They must all have 
the proper boxing—and there must also be boxes for the three 
different bearings of the crank. 


BILL OF WROUGHT IRON. 

1st 16 Bolts, three-fourths of an inch square and 20 inches long, 
to fasten the denser clamps and mould clamps together. 

2d 4 bolts of one inch square and 6 feet 8 inches long, to fasten 
the tops of the posts together. 

3d 32 pieces, three-fourths of an inch square and 16 inches long, 
for the shanks of the irons which fasten the densers. f see y 

fig- 9 ) 

4th 16 pieces, one and one-half inches wide by three-fourths of 
an inch thick and 5 inches long, to make the cross pieces for 
the above, (see 2 ; fig. 9.) 

5th 8 Pieces, three-fourths of an inch square, and 5 feet 3 inches 
long, for rods to raise the pistons. 


24 


LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



0 033 266 8 


1.0 


6th 4 Pieces, two and one-half inches wide, five~eightlis of an 
inch thick, and nineteen and one-half inches long—for cross 
bars to go through the pistons. 

7th 38 feet of round rod, three-fourths of an inch in diameter, to 
make the snibils which fasten the levers together, (The 8 
upper ones go through the caps.) 

8th 8 Pieces, three-fourths of an inch square and 44 inches long, 
to fasten down the moulds. 

9th 4 Pieces, two inches wide by three-eighths of an inch thick 
and 30 inches long, to cover the kams. 

Ibth 4 Pieces of the above size, 7 feet 6 inches long, to cover the 
upper sides of the raising levers. 

11th 8 Pieces, one and one-half inches wide, one-half inch thick 
and 28 inches long, for mould bands. 

12th 44 feet of round red, three-eighths of an inch in diameter, 
for bails to hanGT counteracting weights.* 

13th 4 Bars one inch square and ten feet long, for pitmans. 

14th A round rod tiiree fourths of an inch in diameter and six 
feet long, to make the short bolts which fasten the pitmans 
to the levers. 

15th Iron for bands for the driving wheel shaft, the crank shaft, 
the raising wheel shafts, and the small bolts which fasten the 
boxes for the crank and the different gudgeons. 

BILL OF STEEL PLATES. 

1st. 8 Pieces, nine indies long, six inches wide and one-fourth of an inch thick, 
for sides of moulds. 

2d. 8 Pieces, four and one-half inches long, five and one-fourth inches deep and 
and one-fourth of an inch thick, for the ends of tlie moulds. 

3d. 8 Pieces, eight and one-half inches long, four and one-fourth inches wide and 
three eighths of an inch thick, for bottom of denser and top of piston. 

[The above plates must be square at the edges, or they will not answer the 
purpose.] 

4th 20 Pieces, sixteen inches long, three-fourths of an inch wide and one-fourth 
of an inch thick. 

5th 4 pieces five inches long, two inches wide and half an inch thick. 

[The 20 strips above named, and the four last pieces, are for the purpose of 
forming grooves for the lower ends of the piston rods. One piece is screwed 
firmly upon each of the main posts, for the out side of the rods to slide against. 
The four pieces half an inch thick and five inches long are fastened to projections 
attached to the mould clamps, and answer for the backs of the two centre rods 
to slide against. The other pieces are fastened upon shoulders, which come in 
contact with the sides of the rods, and keep the rods from swerving. 

*These bails should be 5 feet 4 inches long, fastened to the denser near the top 
by a bolt running through it and screwed on the opposite side. The pitman rods 
run through these bails. Into the upper end of the bails small levers are inserted 
which rest upon a fulcrum framed into the braces c c. To the other end of these 
levers weights are attached to balance the weight of the densers. Or, if the 
builder choose, he may balance tliem by a weight attached to a rope running 
over a pulley. 


THE END. 




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